Many commercial, broad bandwidth amplifiers are not optimized for efficiency at specific S-band frequencies. In particular, amplifiers capable of use in the 2200 to 2300 MHz range, if available at all, are relatively inefficient and typically utilize custom or hard to obtain components. When used in transmitter applications, the general inefficiency of the available amplifiers limits the available RF transmit power and the data throughput, in particular for power constrained, balloon and space based applications.